Please read the posting guidelines HERE BEFORE you post in this thread please.

Those who will have not seen the show yet will need to ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! There will be spoilers about who won, and who was eliminated for sure, and other details about the leg. You know by now, right?

And as always, HUGE thank you's to everyone contributing here! It is all of your teamwork this week when we have been short on real spoilers that has made it so much fun to take our speculation to new and higher levels! (sorry, I just couldn't resist! )

This week seemed to belong to the TAR Detectives, so kudoes and thanks for all the efforts go to Mrs Shrek, Neobie, banzai, Apskip, Chateau, Boingo and puddin!

And special thanks to everyone who helps us with live updates, screencaps, and uploads as you are keeping the rest of us sane! And ongoing especial thanks here to Calvin for his outstanding recaps that he produces with amazing speed!

Just a reminder:

Preview info for the NEXT leg should go in the general spoiler thread and NOT be discussed here. And remember that the eliminated team should ONLY be discussed in this pinned episode thread until Sunday 10AM Singapore time= Sat 10PM for those of us in the US (East Coast).

« Last Edit: October 30, 2008, 05:31:21 AM by georgiapeach »

Logged

RFF's Golden Rule:Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.

LEG 8: Macau to Cochin, IndiaThis week has been a challenging one as we had only the preview to guide us. It made for an interesting week of speculation with some very interesting results, so hang on to your hats!

As with any good speculation, we have had some interesting debates this week and have not always been able to come to a joint consensus. But that should make it even more fun as we watch the show in order to see what actually did happen!

Preview: Thanks to Neobie for our first one, and later to banzai for an improved version.

Comments from Michael McKay:

Quote

Without giving too much away on the next Leg it will be testing for the teams.

And yes, I am sure you have picked up on the bungy (I personally hate bungy jumps and don't understand why anyone would want to do it unless they are racing for $100,000). I'll eat bugs, stinky tofu and I'll happily do a flying fox and things like that but I'm not keen on bungy.

Anyway, this next Leg is quite long and will also get a little emotional for the Teams. Hong Kong was fun but Macau was testing.

In this next leg the choices teams make will be crucial - more so than usual.

And, of course, the pressure will be squarely on Ida and Tania, no doubt about that. It will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure.

There is clearly no love lost between Geoff and Tisha and Henry and Bernie after THAT yield. Henry and Bernie will need to put that behind them and re-group this week.

A.D. and Fuzzie are still walking their way through the Race. Amazing really. I think they have raced really well. Very consistent and not many viewers picked them to go this far. So congrats A.D. and Fuzzie.

Vince and Sam benefited from a home town advantage in Hong Kong. I think the fast forward in Taiwan proved crucial because it gave them a solid head start into Hong Kong. So it has turned out to be an important FF, especially with Hong Kong backing into Macau. But they might find it tougher now.

Enjoy!

Quote

I'll say Ida and Tania were lucky. It will be interesting to see if their luck runs out this week. They carry a 30 minute penalty.

Newsletter:

We first of all had our early spoiler from Aravind, brought to us from Mrs Shrek.

On our way to Chennai, my brother and I bumped into a team from the next season of the Amazing Race at the Singapore airport.

Possible spoilers from the next Amazing Race Season ahead.

(Hereafter, "we" refers to me and my elder brother.)

We first noticed them after boarding the same Hong Kong - Singapore flight. Seeing their backpacks and the two cameramen behind, our immediate guess was that they were part of the Amazing Race. However, I didn't get a good look at them when they zipped past my seat and also, I was pretty tired then, so I spent all the time aboard sleeping rather than trying to find out if the guess was right. My brother usually acts as if such things are no big deal, so he didn't snoop around either.

After getting off at the Singapore airport, we were still discussing the possibility while standing in line for our next boarding pass at the Air India counter when they came and stood behind us. We immediately asked them THE question (if they were part of the Amazing Race) and lady said "We don't know what you are talking about."

It wasn't rocket science to figure out the instructions they had - that is to not say anything about the show. We spent few minutes with them and gathered quite a bit of information. The two contestants were representing Philippines, their next destination was Cochin, India (we even got a peek at the blue note with the globe symbol). Since no other team was around, and I think they mentioned a 2 hour lead over another (with some Simon?), my guess is that they were among the final few contestants.

Below is the picture I took with the team in the background (they couldn't pose - they aren't allowed to!). Notice the yellow-red flag and the backpacks with the number 9.

With that, we were able to confirm that the team in question was Geoff and Trish. It was not entirely clear at first whether the date was for May 31 or June 1, so I (and others) were able to contact our source and he updated his blog to reflect those questions.

Quote

Although I have already mentioned all the important details in my previous post, just to confirm, the contestants were on the Cathy Pacific flight CX739 from Hong Kong - Singapore that departed from Hong Kong on 1st June 2008 around 11:20AM (Hong Kong time). And at Singapore, after our chat, they booked the next flight from Singapore - Cochin in Air India which was leaving in another 3 hours or so from Terminal 2 (or was it 3?). Hope this extra bit of information is gratifying enough

We were still a bit concerned that the camera data was showing 5/31, so we asked Aravind to take one more look for us, and this is his reply:

Quote

The current info I posted was obtained from my boarding ticket which said Jun 1. So it is highly likely that it is correct. May be I heard wrong and it wasn’t 3 hours at all (although I am pretty sure it was).

I don’t have my itinerary with me anymore so I cannot confirm for sure.

Btw, I think the camera timings are a bit off (they get the date correct though – I think). In fact, I am not even sure if the time is accurate for any timezone. So I wouldn’t give that too much weightage.

So at that point we all were in agreement that the boarding pass data confirmed 6/1 as our airport sighting.

We also knew from the previous leg sightings that the Pitstop would have occured on May 30, leading us to believe that this leg would be an extended Pitstop, with teams being released on June 1. Is this what actually happened? Keep reading!!

Based on the preview, we immediately had several new things to consider.

The first was that teams were not yet done with Macau Tower.

Several of the women were shown at the tower:

These shots generated much discussion. Boingo felt strongly that both the Bungy and the Skyjump were seen here, while I had to be convinced that we were not only seeing the bungy. The Preview says both "Slide" and "Glide" so we eventually did agree that we were seeing both. We also had some excellent time info on long long it would take to jump, as well as the time needed between jumps HERE.

The next question was when did this occur?

We KNEW that G&T were on the 11:30 flight HK>>Singapore, so when did the bungy take place?

Scheduled Tower opening time on Sunday June 1 was for 9AM, which clearly was not sufficient time to make the flight.

So questions included:

Could the teams NOT have had an extended Pitstop and instead be released on MAy 31 to begin the Tower Tasks? What actual time could we gather from the preview pics?Could there have been an early opening time arranged for the Tower that day?

Reflection of the sun from the sea surface indicate that this shot was taken between 6:30 and 7:30 am (assumes June 1st).

So it seemed as though IF there was an early opening time at the tower, if half of each team did a Bungy, and half a SkyJump, it theoretically could be possible for all to complete the tasks within 90-120 minutes. They would need about another 90 minutes if all teams were to Bungy.

Was this early AM on June 1? Or an afternoon event on May 31st? The only answers available are the time estimates above.Against an a release on May 31st was the unanswered question of what would teams be doing the rest of the time? What would prevent a dash to the airport then? Complex HOO? Again, no firm answers...

So despite all this, we know G&T make that 11:20 AM flight and realistically prob need to be at the airport at least an hour ahead of time, then add whatever transport they do take and you have a BUNGY/SkyJump time well before opening hours at the Tower.

So either a special opening time was arranged OR these jumps were done on May 31 during the extended Pitstop.... Just a thought.

The next decision was how would teams transfer to the airport in HK for their flights?

Turbojet was the most straightforward answer as teams could go Macau>>direct to HK airport in about 45 minutes, with the possibility also of perhaps clearing Immigration before there as well.

But the biggest debate of the week came here, as we began to wonder if G&T could make that flight if they used the conventional TurboJet. The answer? It would be nearly impossible.

But wait! We have a preview scene of G&T clearly in a helicopter.

If they hired a helicopter from HeliExpress, the cost would be large. And most importantly, the public helicopters do NOT fly Macau directly to HK airport--you must land at the Sun Tek center and either take an airport express or a taxi to the airport. So any advantage one could gain in the 15 minute flight would seem to be negated by the need to still travel to HK>>airport.

In the course of an extended pitstop, could G&T have met someone able to offer them a ride? Could they have hired one themselves? Could G&T won enough $$ at the casino to pay for one? All speculation--but all possible!

And a private helicopter could almost certainly go direct to HK airport itself, allowing G&T to make that oh-so-important flight.

Apskip gave us the flight data here:

Quote

Preferred for HKG SIN is CX739 1120 1510Alternates are SQ863 1330 1720 or CX735 1415 1800 or CX711 1615 2000In all cases teams wait in Singapore forSilkAir468 SIN COK 2155 2350 (note: one version of this schedule had it move up by 2 hours; I don't know which is right)

Now you may hear about how some teams trotted off from Singapore to reach Cochin via Delhi. I say that nobody in their right mind would do that unless they had a poor travel agent or the SilkAir nonstop to Cochin was full or if limits were imposed by either SilkAir or World Race Productions. Since the Air India 481 flight to Delhi leaves 4.5 to 6.5 hours before SilkAir does, it is easy to see how a neophyte traveler could respond to the opportunity to get on their way. But from there you have to connect in Delhi to Mumbai and then again in Mumbai to get to Cochin, arriving at 0230 the next day.

There are no other nonstop flights Singapore to Cochin and any departures much after AI481 will lead to later arrival than 0230.

While I was still concerned that G&T would have perhaps (based on our spoiler} booked a flight departing about 6-ish PM via Air India.Apskip was able to come up with this:

Quote

There was and is no Air India flight from Singapore to Cochin in any time frame, but there is the combination of AI481 1510 1825 SIN DEL connecting with AI9602 2030 2200 DEL BOM and again with AI690 0130 0330 BOM COK.

which still didn't have them leaving at 6PM.So I threw in my own pitiful attempt at plotting a flight and got this:

Quote

BUT, after talking with our source, the best flight that I could turn up at the time that fit the parameter of ticketing w/ Air India and leaving about 6PM was AI 7408 which flew Singapore to New Delhi on 6/1.

Also, they might get a bunching opportunity at the Hong Kong Airport. Best flights(see most recent Timeline) are to Singapore at 215pm (and teams need to get to HK Airport) and 415pm. A second and decisive bunching opportunity should happen at Singapore Airport when all teams will be able to get the SilkAir flight to Cochin if they got on one of the above flights to Singapore.

SO okay, teams are on their way,and at least in Singapore, G&T hold a 2 hour lead.

Ida and Tania need to arrive at the Pitstop at least 30 minutes before the last team, in order to avoid elimination, as arriving first for them could be difficult.

Pitstop, Geoff & TishaYou can see buildings on the other side of the river.

Tisha is right behind him so it's not a roadblock.

Early morning?

Tuk tuk; a three wheeler.

Her watch is around 2:22PM.

Tisha is holding a green ticket and not a green clue.

Based on the preview, we see Geoff carrying a large swordfish...

Fishing is a huge part of the economy in Cochin.

The famous Chinese Fishing Nets are hereand there is a fish market near by:This panorama shows how all of these places connect:

So Geoff is clearly carrying a swordfish from the market to deliver it where? A shop? A restaurant? Again,unknown...

And is this a Detour or the Roadblock?

Probably this is a detour choice as it seems that this as a RB would clearly not favor the 2 F/F teams. So while we cannot clearly see Tisha helping Geoff, I believe that this is probably a detour option.

What is the other one?

Well, we enter the world of peach's fantasies a little bit here, because this is based only on a sliver of a wall and peach's wanting to play with elephants.

There is an Elephant training camp here:

KodanadLocated 45 Kms north east of Kochi, it is one of the largest elephant training centres of South India. Set on the southern banks of the Periyar river, Kodanad is known for the Elephant Kraal; i.e the place where the newly captured elephants are kept till they are properly trained and disciplined. The elephant training center and the Malayattoor St. Thomas Parish Church or Thazathe Palli lies on the opposite banks of Periyar river.

The trained elephants are available for rides for the tourists. There is a small zoo sheltering wild animals which are unfit for survival in the forest. It is open from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm on all days except Mondays.

By request and thanks to the newsletter, the pitstop could be Bolghatty Palace

Bolghatty Palace:

The Bolghatty palace is a quintessential Dutch palace located on the picturesque island of Bolghatty. This island can be reached by a short boat ride from the mainland. Today, this magnificent palace has been converted to a heritage hotel and is managed by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. The island is conspicuous by a miniature golf course and offers breathtaking views of Cochin harbour. There is round the clock boat service linking the island with the mainland.

But we found later that JonLover found it first. So credit to puddin for the find for RFF, and JonLover for the first find.

So who looks happy? Clearly G&T.

and who looks sad? Clearly I&T.

Are I&T eliminated?

Well, clearly after 2 consecutive NEL's this should be an Elim. Based on departure times, A/D and I/T are at risk, with I&T having the added handicap of a 30 minute penalty.

My guess?

G&T in first, and I&T elim'd....which I would find so sad as they have played a wonderful game and been a delight to watch.

SO lots of holes to fill in when we watch the show!!

Enjoy!

« Last Edit: October 30, 2008, 05:27:13 AM by georgiapeach »

Logged

RFF's Golden Rule:Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.

Catch all the action, drama and fireworks on this week’s “The Amazing Race Asia 3”. Watch Ida and Tania as they struggle in this week’s episode with two strikes against them. They must either come first in the current leg of t he race, or face a 30 minute penalty.

The team who comes first in the high-altitude challenge is in for an elevated surprise! Instead of using the regular transportation, they get a personal helicopter to fly them to their next destination. After completing a challenge that involves families and friends from around the world greeting them in a special way, many teams are in tears as they get emotional.

Finally, when teams are faced with travelling to another country without any direct flights, five teams take three different flights to get to their destination. Sadly, one of the flights leaves a team far behind than the others.Since the cardinal rule has to be followed, the last team to arrive at the pit stop will be eliminated.To find out which team gets eliminated, tune into The Amazing Asia 3 tonight at 10 p.m. on AXN.

Peach, your post summarizing everything we know in advance for episode 8 is a tour de force. The only information that conflicts with my information is the opening hour for Macau Tower. I have it as 10am for a Sunday(and I am sure that June 1 was a Sunday due to church events I recall on that day) from an official Macau source:

I still believe it may have opened early but the helicopter ride allows Geoff/Tisha to just make make it to the airprot for CX739 and everyone else has to fly later.

The information from post#3 about what was going to happen in episode 8 on flights is "five teams take three different flights to get to their destination. Sadly, one of the flights leaves a team far behind than the others."The statement that ther are 3 different flights teams take out of Hong Kong is consistent with my flight information summary:

Preferred for HKG SIN is CX739 1120 1510Alternates are SQ863 1330 1720 or CX735 1415 1800 or CX711 1615 2000In all cases teams wait in Singapore forSilkAir468 SIN COK 2155 2350 (note: one version of this schedule had it move up by 2 hours; I don't know which is right)

To get to HKG airport from Macau the best option for rthe other teams is the direct ferry schedule:0815 (nobody will get this)1000 (nobody will get this unless they finish their tasks at Macau tower by 0915)1215 (this is the one I expect most teams to get)1345 (this is the last one that gets onto CX711)